Happy Birthday Joseph!

Today, My Joseph turned thirty-two years old. I am married to such an old man! We had family over today to celebrate. I cooked burgers, shrimp, and hot dogs on the grill. The grill is usually Joe's department and this was the first time I had manned it all by myself; as my step-mother used to say, the part that wasn't burned was good! Anyway, we enjoyed having everyone together. I would post more but I am exhausted from the day and I think it will have to wait. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to My Joseph, I love you!

On A Serious Note

As some of you already know, Little Joe's Trucking is no longer in operation. The pay rates have not increased nearly enough to counteract the rising fuel prices and we simply can no longer afford to buy fuel to run. This was a very hard decision for Joe to make. Trucking is all he has wanted to do from the time that he was just a boy and is all he has ever known. Joe has found another job for right now and is still providing for our family. It is the first time he has had a boss (except me) since he was 18! I have no doubts that Joe will continue to be able to provide for our family. I just hurt for him at the thought of giving up what he has worked so hard to achieve.

I write this only for you to keep us in your prayers. Please pray that we know where to go from here and that we make the best choices for our family. We are treating this as a temporary situation, waiting to see what will happen next, but by the end of June we have to decide whether we are going to permanently close our business and sell out. This is not the best time to sell as many of the loggers and truckers in the area have already gone under; but at the same time, we really can't afford the fixed costs of a business that is no longer in operation.

I know that God will provide answers for us in His time, and that has nothing to do with any timeline that we have set for ourselves. However, it is one thing to know this and an entirely different thing to live it without experiencing panic attacks! I also know that God has a great plan for our lives and high fuel prices or not, He will see it brought to fruition.

Broken Toys

Sometimes I just don't have time to deal with broken toys so I sort of pretend that I can't fix it and push it off on Joe when he gets home from work. I know, it is an awful thing to do but come on, you probably do it also and just don't admit it. However, I didn't realize how often I use the same excuse until my conversation with Noah today.

Mommy, can you fix this?
Let me see it. It looks like we will have to take the screws out to get it done.
Well go ahead, I need it.
Noah, I can't fix your toy without a screwdriver. You will have to wait until Daddy gets home.
Mom, I need it now.
I don't have a screwdriver and unless you have one hidden away somewhere, you will have to wait until your Daddy gets home.
Wait, I will go get the one that I have hidden under my bed.
Why do you have a screwdriver hidden under your bed?
Well the last time my toy broke you said that I had to wait until Daddy came home unless I had a screwdriver hidden somewhere, so after Daddy fixed it the last time, I hid the screwdriver under my bed!

So today, I fixed the toy. I think I have been busted and unless I can come up with another line, I will be fixing many more toys in the future. When did my child get so smart?

The Strawberry Barn

Noah has been wanting to go Breland's Strawberry Barn and pick his own strawberries since the season opened back in March. Today we finally made it out there. It's a good thing to, because they close the last day of this month. Joe is still hobbling around on his hurt foot, so he and Jonah sat in the shade while Noah and I took a basket into the field and started picking. I thought that Noah would tire quickly and I would end up doing most of the picking, but he really got into it and our basket was soon overflowing. I nearly had to drag him away from the field. This is what I heard all the way back to the barn:

Momma, look at that one...We have to get that one... Oh, we HAVE to get that one...Boy, that is a big berry now... We can fit more in here... Just squish 'em down a little...Trust me, it won't hurt nothin'... Throw out those little ones and just let me get this one big one... Mmmm, I bet these things here are gonna taste good now... Man, do you see how shiny that one is?

We both had a great time and I even remembered to take a few pictures. I don't know if we will get back before the season closes this year, but we will definitely make a return trip next year. We had some of the berries for lunch and in Noah's words, "them berries sure did taste good!"

At first, Noah was not very discriminatory when filling his basket.

"This is the biggest strawberry I ever seen in my whole life."

The pre-picked strawberries...These just wouldn't do for him!

When Will I Ever Learn?

So today I feel like a horrible wife. Joe came home from work Wednesday evening complaining that his foot was sore and that he may need to go to the doctor. He had slipped while getting out of the truck and all of his weight landed on one spot of his foot. His foot had a hard knot on the top of it and was very red. I figured there was no need for a doctor; it was just a small sprain so we put ice on his foot and he elevated it overnight. When he got up Thursday morning he was still complaining but I just gave him some Tylenol and sent him off to work. By Thursday evening Joe could not put any weight on his foot and it was so swollen that we almost could not remove his boot. Once we did get his boot off, his foot continued to swell and turn every color in the rainbow. He also started running a fever. Needless to say, we were at the doctor's office bright and early this morning. Turns out it was just a sprain but because he did not stay off of the foot, it developed a nasty infection. I've never even heard of that happening. The doctor gave him some pain meds, a strong antibiotic, and instructions to keep his foot elevated all weekend. Hopefully by Monday the infection will be gone, the sprain however will take a bit longer to heal.
I feel horrible that we didn't go to the doctor sooner, but I hate the thought of running to the doctor for every little bump or bruise. On the other hand, I don't want the "wait and see attitude" to make a minor problem any worse. How do you decide what is serious enough for a doctor and what isn't?
In other news, Jonah has already cut his second tooth. This one came in much easier than the first. Maybe they are all going to be easy from now on! Pappy (my dad) watched the boys while Joe and I were at the doctor's office this morning. Noah told me that he likes Pappy's house because he has good food. I think my dad will have to make a trip to the grocery store because it sounds as if Noah ate the entire time he was there. My children have no idea how lucky they are to have so many people in their lives to love and spoil them.

OUCH!

Today my muscles are feeling every bean I picked and every hill of okra I weeded yesterday. I guess maybe I wouldn't be quite so sore if I had not had an extra sixteen pounds strapped to my back in the form of a sleeping Jonah!

Country Living

I picked green beans out of the garden this morning. I got about ten gallons. As I was snapping my beans this afternoon, I couldn't help but appreciate where we live. It makes me feel so good to know that I can pick vegetables out of the garden in the morning and feed them to my family that very same night. How much fresher can you get than that? It is also good to know exactly what chemicals were and more importantly were not used on them. I am able to freeze or can my excess vegetables to sustain us all year long and I am able to make all of Jonah's baby food just as I did with Noah. Not only is it good for them, it saves tremendously on the grocery bill. As I was sitting here contemplating how country life just has to be the absolute best, I got a phone call from Joe. He and Noah were on the tractor in the backyard by the little pond. Joe told me to get the rifle and bring it to him quickly. They had spotted a large rattlesnake sunning himself in our backyard. Now I didn't mind looking at the snakes at the zoo this weekend, they were safely ensconced in glass cages, but my backyard is a different story altogether. Noah and I were just out there last week pushing Jonah around in the stroller and searching for blackberries! As you can see from the photo, after a few shots, the snake was history. Sorry for the gore, but no one was getting close enough for a picture until I was absolutely sure that thing was dead! When all the excitement was over and I finally got back to snapping my beans, it was with a little different attitude. I guess there are drawbacks to living in the country. Very creepy ones at that. Even so, I would not trade it for the world!

Busy Busy Weekend

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity. My step-brother Michael travels the NASCAR circuit working for Sprint. This weekend was the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte, NC. He was able to get tickets for Joe, Mr. Jimmie, and Noah to attend with him. Saturday morning Joe, Noah, Jonah, and I headed out to the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, about 200 miles away. We met Mom, Mr. Jimmie, and Michael at the motel about 2:30 Saturday afternoon, just in time for the guys to change into "official" NASCAR shirts and hats, grab their tickets, get a quick picture, and head to the track.From all accounts, they had a great time. Michael was even able to get them each a NASCAR Sprint FanView. This allowed them to hear in-car audio, real-time stats, and view live race video on a hand held screen. I know all of this because it is all Joe has talked about since the race. Of course Noah's favorite moments were the fireworks and watching the crash. He even bought a truck that hauls race cars. The guys came back from the race about 10:30 and we finished watching it on television. Mom, Jonah, and I hit the indoor pool and spa while the guys were at the race. This was Jonah's first time in a pool. It only took a little while for him to learn how to splash and get a big reaction from Mommy.Jonah, Noah, and I had another swim in the pool Sunday morning while Joe packed up the car. On the way home from Charlotte, we were going right though Columbia so we decided to take the boys to Riverbanks Zoo. We had a picnic lunch and then toured the zoo for about three hours. Jonah slept in his snuggli on my back for the majority of the time. Noah seemed really fascinated with the snakes and other creepy crawly things. I guess that is all a part of raising boys. The giraffes were my favorite, and I think Joe could have stood at the elephant exhibit for hours. I wish we didn't live almost two hours away from the zoo. I think I would have the kids there every week!

We got home about 5:30 Sunday evening. Everyone was exhausted from the hectic weekend, but pleased with the memories we created. Many thanks to Michael for making it possible! He will be in our prayers as he travels to the Pocono Raceway to prepare for the race this weekend.

Thank God for Music Downloads

I mentioned previously in this blog that Jonah is my music lover. This is Jonah and my Mom at her house. If you look closely at the picture you will see Jonah clutching Joe's cell phone to his ear. (Click on the picture and it will enlarge) This is the only way to get him to sleep when we are away from the piano at home. Joe has music downloaded onto his cell phone, so Jonah holds it close and drifts off to sleep. I know it seems crazy to have my child sleep with a cell phone instead of a stuffed animal, but somehow it works!

First Tooth

Finally it has arrived! It seems like Jonah has been teething since the moment we brought him home and now we can see the fruits of all his efforts. A shiny little white tooth has popped up on the bottom left side of his mouth. The first thing he did after getting his tooth was to bite his thumb hard enough to make it bleed. That tiny tooth sure is sharp. So far, he hasn't bitten me or anyone else. If he does get into the habit if biting, his nursing days are over!

Blackberry Pie

Noah has been after me to bake him a blackberry pie. I don't know where he got the idea from because as far as I know he has never had blackberry pie before. He usually eats the berries before I have a chance to bake with them. Today he kept coming inside with one handful of berries at a time until he had enough for his pie. So of course, this afternoon I had to look up a recipe and bake one. My first blackberry pie ever. It actually looked nice and Noah said it tasted Mmmmm, Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

Playing Catch-Up

As you probably know we went to the beach this weekend. We all had a great time, but I got really far behind on things at home. Tonight I fell like I am finally back on track.
We got to the beach around noon on Friday. They had just had rain, so it was very hazy and we did not get to go out to the water. We just lazed around the house and played cards. Saturday was a different story. The weather was beautiful and we stayed out on the beach all morning. This was Jonah's first experience with the ocean and since he HATES baths, I was unsure of how he would react. He was a little hesitant at first, but soon began to really enjoy it, especially the sand part! I know I promised pictures of Jonah's first trip to the water, but I don't have any. To tell the truth, I left the camera at the beach house and did not remember it until we were out on the beach and I was to lazy to go back up to the house and get it. I have come to realize that you tend to get slack about these things when it is not your first child. Spare me the lectures, please. I am sure there will be another chance this summer to get pictures at the beach.

For All The Mommies

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

Hunter's Visit

Today was a great day. It actually started out great because for the first time in a really long time, everyone went to sleep in their own bed last night and woke up in their own bed this morning. Hunter, my cousin Amber's son, spent the day with us. For two children who never really see each other that much, Noah and Hunter hit it off right away and went strong all day. They played and laughed for hours while Jonah just watched in amazement.
Tomorrow we are off to Edisto Beach for the weekend. Noah already has his bag packed. Unfortunately it only contains a bathing suit and about fifteen tractors. I have a feeling I will be up late tonight repacking. This will be Jonah's first time at the beach. I hope the water is warm enough to enjoy. If so, I will be posting pictures when we return Sunday.

Oops, I Spilled!

This afternoon, while I was nursing Jonah, Noah came running into the room. He was thirsty and he HAD to have something to drink immediately. I told him that I had to finish feeding Jonah but that he could get his cup and get some water. Our refrigerator has one of those in the door dispensers and Noah has used it many times before. It wasn't long before he came running back into the room frantically saying, "I spilled, I spilled." Spills happen quite frequently at our house so this was no big deal. I told him that I would clean it up later, to go and play and please let me finish feeding Jonah. A few minutes later Noah came back into the room. Once again he was thirsty. I repeated myself again about the water. I told him not to worry about the spill, just to get some more water in his cup. At this point Noah is near tears as he says, "But Momma, my cup is still spilling." Not knowing what he was talking about, I gave up on nursing Jonah and walked into the kitchen. Oh how I wish I had gone the first time Noah mentioned the spill. His cup had gotten jammed in the water dispenser and water was flowing all over my floor. It took four bath towels to soak up all the water. On the bright side, it was just water and not milk or some other sticky substance and my kitchen floor really needed to be cleaned anyway!

Love Offering

Granny Faye called tonight. The women's group at church decided that their love offering this month should go to our family. They feel that we could use it since Jonah has been so sick. I can't help but have hesitations about this. I appreciate their concern, but feel so guilty about taking this offering. Of course finances have been tight lately, but haven't they been that way for all of us? I can think of so many who would definitely deserve this gift more than us, who are going though unthinkable trials. However, for some reason, our name was mentioned to receive this offering. Mom says that although sometimes it is hard to accept gifts, refusing them is robbing the giver of the blessing of giving. So I guess I will do just that. I will accept this gift for what it was intended, helping out with Jonah's unexpected expenses, and be grateful that we have a church community that cares deeply for us.

Comfort

"Be still, and know that I am GOD."
Psalm 46:10

Sometimes this is the hardest thing to do.
Often it is the only thing we can do.
It is always the best thing we can do.

Another Trip To Chuck E. Cheese

Since we have to drive all the way to Charleston to see the pediatrician, we usually try to do something else while we are there. This time I promised Noah a trip to Chuck E Cheese. I told him he could pick a friend to go with us. Noah's pick was Pa, 'his favorite toy'.

Noah loves to play air hockey any time he sees it, but usually it is an adult sized table. This table was just his size. I heard him laughing and squealing all the way across the room. When I got there, I realized why. Noah was winning against Pa!

This is Jonah with Chuck E. Cheese. Noah is a bit leery of the giant mouse so you wont see any pictures of them together. (And I don't blame him) However, Jonah was fascinated with the giant head. He tried to climb in the mouth.

It was a fun day. Noah had a great time and Jonah laughed a lot. Looking at these pictures, I realize just how much I enjoy my children. It almost makes me feel guilty that I get to be with them all the time while Joe has to go to work. Then I remember that I am the one who changes diapers and scrubs the toilets. I guess I don't feel so guilty after all!